EMC, Cooperative | Grocery customers react:

Torgata, Oslo (Netavisen):

The background of the feedback is that Nettavisen revealed that there is no or almost no difference in quality between the most expensive and cheapest meats, cheeses and juices in the discount chains.

The price differences were for variants of the respective brands.

In Extra, goods are sold under the Xtra series, which is the cheapest option. If you choose the Coop brand, the item will command a hefty price premium. Despite the fact that it is more or less the same product.

Nettavisen’s findings showed that cooked pork received a 67 percent price increase.

We saw the same picture at Rema 1000. The meat products produced in the Prima series, the store’s own brand, were surprisingly similar to Nordfjord Meat products. However, the brand was much more expensive.

Deception on the Store Shelf: – I believe that the more expensive the better

– I was shocked by the pricing

Andrea, the grocer’s customer, is surprised by Nettavisen’s revelation.

– I didn’t know that. This is absolutely shocking. When I shop at Rema 1000 I always buy Nordfjord Meat. Then guarantee me Norwegian meat, as she says and explains in detail:

– I think the more expensive the better. And animal welfare is even worse if you buy the cheaper Prima, First Price, or Xtra option.

So I was shocked when we explained that the same butcher and producer is behind the cheapest and most expensive alternative to minced meat, chops and pork cooked in Rema 1000 and Extra.

– This was surprising news. As costs increase by the day, I will shop for the cheapest option, and I will become better at reading who produced the products, she says.

The price increased by 60 percent in one month: – It will pay off

– Everyone is fooled

Several readers also reacted in the comments section to the case that exposed price gouging.

“Everyone gets scammed, it’s more about how much you get scammed. What costs the most money is having different packaging for the exact same product.” Bergtur Roald Obsit writes.

“We get cheated and robbed no matter what and where we shop.” Read another comment.

Ole E. Larsen, who was cycling home from Torggata, was also amazed at the stores’ creative prices.

– I didn’t know that. This is a dirty game. It is always natural to think that quality and price are related, but here we are being deceived, he says.

– What do you think, as a consumer, is the reason for the shops to operate in this way?

-Maybe it’s because someone is doing a good shop. A lot of people are turning away from the First Price and Xtra series because they think they’re inferior, and that’s what people should know, because it’s not good, he says.

Larsen also criticizes the fact that Norgesgruppen stores, Kiwi, Meny, Spar and Joker, produce their own brands under Unil, which is, among other things, the home of Kiwi’s own brand. To find out who produced the item, you as a consumer must google the EFTA code.

– They should stop doing this, he says.

This is how Coop responds to criticism

– Coop customers should always know who produces the food they buy from us, which is why all products are labeled with the product. Because we are open and honest, our customers have a real choice. They can compare products and prices and make the selection they want based on their needs. We have nothing to hide, says Harald Christiansen, Communications Director at Coop Norge.

– Do you feel that you are gaining a lot of weight due to openness?

– Because we have a policy of being open about who produces our food, unlike our competitors, we feel that criticism hits us unfairly. We believe our customers, who own us, have a right to know the manufacturer so they can make their own choices,” he says.